Mechanical construction of pianos



Oct. 16, 1928;

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1927 & 8 Ma ll t\|l WW Ill. .ll|.|.||.|l|l||| llllll m. T NM M "W W a w W V 6 1%. Rn s 1 I N G. LYON MECHANICALCONSTRUCTION OF PIANOS Oct. 16, 1928. 1,687,984

Filed Jan. 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE LYON, OF PARIS, FRANCE, A SSIGNOR TO SOGIET'E ANONYME PLEYEL, OF

PARIS, FRANCE, .A' CORPORATION OF FRANCE.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION or IIANOS.

Application filed January 27, 1927, Serial No. 164,067,. and in FranceMarch 26, 1926;

My invention relates to improvements'in the mechanical constructionofpianos comprising two keyboards disposed one above the other, the keysof the upper keyboard being situated in the rear of the keys of thelower keyboard. 1

It is an observed fact that in the mechan- "that of the lower keyboard,while acting upon this latter, at the same time permitting theindependent operation of the keys of the upper keyboard, in such mannerthat by pressing a-key corresponding to a note pro- 5 duced by thelowerkeyboard, the operator can produce this note as well as the note 7situated an octave higher, while being able following description withreference to the at the same time to separately pressany of the keys ofthe upper keyboard.

My said improvements essentially consist in the construction of thediflerent devices in a simple manner, thereby reducing the risks ofdefective operation and rendering the mechanical parts easy of accessfor 'mountlng and dismounting.

7 One of the principal characteristics of the, invention consists in theuse of a coupling device which permits, by pressing a given key of thelower keyboard, to produce at the same time the corresponding note andthe note situated an octave higher, while the operator is furtherenabled topress the keys of the upper keyboard in an independentmanner.. 1 V r 5 Theinvention isclearly disclosed. in the Figs. and 5are detail views showing two positions of the device which serves tocouple the lower key with the gear pertaining to the corresponding keyof the upper keyboard.v r s The two keyboards are in all cases disposedone above the other and comprise the, requisite number of keys. Thelower 4 keyboard consists of the white keys a a etc. and the black keysA A etc, and the upper keyboard consists vof the white keys 6 6 etc, andthe black keys B B etc.

The keys of the upper and lower keyboards are respectively disposed onein the rear of the other and inthe same plane as the mechanism whichserves to control each striker corresponding to a respective key.

The keys a or A of the lower keyboard,

when turning upon their pivots, will raise" by their respective ends 28a lever 16 coacting with an adjustable button 29 which is mounted on therod 1 whose upper end is secured to the lever 2 controlling the strikermechanism. Inthis manner the keys of the lower keyboard will directlyactuate each corresponding striker mechanism.

In thelever 16 (Figs-1, 4 and 5) is formed a mortise 32 whose functionwill be further disclosed. The ends of the keys 6 or B 7 of theupperkeyboard are provided with a respective adjustable button 7coacting with the lever 16 amortise 3 is formed in the said lever (Figs.2 and ,3) for the free pas- U. shape which is pivoted on the horizontalaxle 5 and is terminated at the other end ,bya member 6 similar to themember 6 -The space between the branches 6 and 6 I of the piece 8 isdeterminedin such manner;-

as tocorrespond to the space which is necessary to contain, allthevmechanisms of an octave of notes.

The rotation of the piece8 on its axle 5,

actionof the link 20 coacting with the lever 16 which is raised by thebutton 7 mounted on the end of a key b?orB will thus raise the secondbranch 6 by a likeam unu The upper face 3 Fig; 8') of thebr'anch "sageof the rod 1 which is controlled by' due to the ascent ofthe branch 6under the Y bar 6 is in contact with the button 12 which is screwed uponthe rod l which as above stated connects the lever 16 of the lowerkeyboard. "ith the lever 2 controlling the striker mechanism and in thismanner the device actuates the striker mechanism. of the note which isan octave higher than the note corresponding to the key of the lowerkeyboard situated directly below the key which is pressed upon the upperkeyboard.

It will be observed from what precedes that upon pressing a key Z1 or Bof the pper keyboard, this will actuate, through the mechanism 6 86, thestri (er "tor the notesituated an octave higher, i. e., the

striker of the twelfth key counting to the right, which striker can.further be directly controlled by a ke if or A of the lower keyboard.

A. coupling device is en'iployed to connect together the levers 16- and16 which are respectively controlled by the keys or the upper and lowerkeyboards, so as to produce simultaneously the note corresponding to thedirectly actuated key and the note corresponding to the upper octave.

To effect this coupling, i. 0., to connect together the levers 16 and 16there is pivotally mounted at 15 on the lever 16 a vertical lever 15whose lower end normally projects through the mortise 32 provided in thelever 16.- A spring 3 1 has its upper end eonnectedto the lever 16 whilethe lower portion bears against the lever 15 so as to move the shoulderportion 15 of the lever in engagement with the end 32 oi? mortise 32,asshown in Fig. 5.

This coupling movement is under the con trol of a pedal (not shown)which as represented in Figs. l: and 5 will move to the right a bar 33coacting with'all of the vertical levers 15, so that the spring as (ineach case) can act upon the pieces 15, in order to bring the lower end15 upon the edge 31 out the mortise 32 formed in the lever 16.

When the pedal ceases to act upon the 33, the latter will drive back allof the vertical levers 15 against the action of the springs 34, sothatthe lower ends 15 will coincide with the mortises 32 in the levers16. In this position, the ascent of the lever 16 will have no effectupon the lever 16 since the vertical lever 15 freely engaged in themortise 32 in each case.

The lower ends 310i the rods 1 are loosely slidable (Fig. 5) intheapertures 35 formed in the lovers 16, so that in the coupled position,the lever 16 of the upper octave will not be actuated during the ascentof the rod 1 due to the button 12. During the ascent of the rod 1, itwill simply move within the aperture 35 of the lever 16. It theapertures 35 -were not provided, and'the rod 1 were simply secured inthe lever 16, the lever 16 situated in the upper octave would impart itsmotion to the octave above the latter, and so on, and thus the motionwould be transmitted from upper octave to upper octave towards theright, and clear to the end of tl e keyboard.

From the preceding considerations it will be observed (Figs. 1 and thatwhen the vertical lever 15 is driven back by the bar against the actionof the spring 3%, its lower end 15 will be disengaged from the edge 32of the mortise 32 in the lever 16, so that the ascent of said leverwill-not ali'cct the lever 16, and thus when a key a or A of the lowerkeyboard is pressed, this will only control-through the rod l--thestriker mechanism'ot the note situated in the same vertical plane. Itwill be noted that the rods 1 are loosely movable in the mortises 3(Figs. 2 and 3) in the lever 16 and in the forks 6 of the U-shapedpieces '8.

The descent 01 a key I)- or B ot the upper keyboard will act directlyupon the corrcsponding lever 16 whichby means oi the rod 20will raisethe branch 6 of the piece 8 (Fig. 2)) which will thus turn upon itspivot 5, and this movement will raise the second branch 6 situated inthe plane of the mechanism of the note in the upper octave (Fig. Asabove stated, the rod 1 is engaged in a slot in the said branch, and abutton 12 mounted on said rod is in contact with tl e upper face of thebranch 6. ,The ascent of the branch 6 will thus act upon the button 12and hence upon the rod 1, and the latter will thus control the strikermechanism of the note. lVhen the rod 1 is raised by the branch 6, itslower part will move freely in themortise 3 of the lever 16 and in theaperture 85 of the lever 16.

For the coupling of the levers 16 and 16 the operator acts by means of apedal upon the bar 33 which will thus be moved to the right. Under theaction of its spring 34: the vertical lever 15 will turn on its pivot 15upon the lever 16, and its lower end 15 will be displaced in the mortise82 and will be brought upon the edge 32 ot the lever 16.

At this moment, if the operator presses a key a or A of the lowerkeyboard, this will act upon the lever 16 which in its ascent willactuate-by the button 29the rod 1 connected with the lover of thestriker mechanism for the corresponding note, and

at'the same time, due to the coupling afforded by the vertical lever 15,the lever 16 will be raised and hence (through the rod 20, thebranch 6-of the U-shaped piece 8, and the second branch 6) it will act upon thebutton 12 "of the rod 1 which actuates the control lever 2 of thestriker mechanism of the note an octave higher than the note which isdirectly controlled by the lever 16.

Irrespectively of the coupling thus effected, it will always be feasibleto directly actuate the keys 6 B etc. of the upper keyboard.

Claims:

1. In a coupling device, for pianos provided with a lower keyboard thekeys of which act directly upon the striker mechanism of the notesituated in the same plane and an upper keyboard the keys of which actupon the striker mechanism of the note situated an octave higher thanthe note controlled by the keys of the lower keyboard, providing for thesimultaneous operation of the striker mechanism actuated by any of thekeys of the lower keyboard and of the striker mechanism of the notesituated an the upper keyboard, a mortise formed in the lever actuatedby the keys of the lower keyboard, a bar normally holding the couplingpiece in coincidence With the mortise, and an external pedal controllingthe bar.

2. Ina coupling device as claimed in claim 1, a coupling piece betweenthe lever actuated by the keys of thelower keyboard and the leveractuated by the keys of the upper keyboard, a pivot for the couplingpiece on the leveractuated by the keys of the upper keyboard, a mortiseformed in the lever actuated by the keys of the lower keyboard, a barnormally holdingthe couplingpiece in coincidence with the mortise, anexternal pedal controlling the bar and a spring mounted on piece, whenthe bar is disengaged, so as to engage the lower end of the couplingpiece upon one edge of the mortise.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GUSTAVE "LYON.

, the lever actuated by the keys of the upper i keyboard and coactingwith the coupling

